(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit contactor, and a method and apparatus for production of the integrated circuit contactor, the integrated circuit contactor used to electrically test an integrated circuit of a large-scale integration (LSI) device with terminals of the integrated circuit being connected to contacts of the integrated circuit contactor. Further, the present invention relates to a method of testing an integrated circuit having terminals by using an integrated circuit contactor.
Recently, there is an increasing demand for an LSI device having a high operating speed and a high integration level. In conformity with this demand, it is needed to achieve,fine-pitch interconnects of terminals on the LSI device and contacts of a testing device. Hence, it is desired to provide an integrated circuit contactor which is used for electrical testing of an integrated circuit of the LSI device with fine-pitch interconnects of the integrated circuit terminals and contacts of the contactor. Further, it is desired to assure the reliability of electric connections between the integrated circuit terminals and the contactor. When testing the integrated circuit with the integrated circuit contactor, it is necessary that the integrated circuit contactor assures the reliability of electric connections between the terminals of the integrated circuit and the contacts of the contactor.
(2) Description of the Related Art
FIG. 40 shows a conventional integrated circuit contactor which has been developed to electrically test an integrated circuit of an LSI device with terminals of the integrated circuit being connected to contacts of the integrated circuit contactor. The conventional integrated circuit testing device of FIG. 40 is also called a membrane contactor. Hereinafter, the conventional integrated circuit testing device of FIG. 40 will be called the contactor 1.
The contactor 1 of FIG. 40 includes a base 2 of an insulating material (such as a polyimide resin), a plurality of pads 4 of a conductive material (such as copper Cu), and a plurality of contacts 3 of another conductive material (such as nickel Ni). For the sake of convenience of description, a single contact 3 and a single pad 4 are shown in FIG. 40.
In the contactor 1 of FIG. 40, the contacts 3 of the conductive material, such as nickel, are formed on the pads 4 as the metal projections on the base 2 by using a plating technique. When testing an integrated circuit with the contactor 1, terminals of the integrated circuit are connected to the contacts 3 of the contactor 1. To assure electric connections between the integrated circuit terminals and the contacts 3, the contacts 3 of the contactor 1 are covered by a plating of gold (Au). In the contactor 1, external terminals (not shown) are provided on the periphery of the base 2, and the pads 4 are connected to the external terminals by a wiring (not shown). As the contacts 3 are electrically connected through the pads 4 to the external terminals, electric signals on the integrated circuit terminals can be respectively detected from the external terminals of the contactor 1 when testing the integrated circuit with the contactor 1.
In a conventional LSI socket, a leaf spring or the like is provided therein to ensure electric connections between the integrated circuit terminals and the conventional LSI socket. It is difficult for the conventional LSI socket to achieve fine pitch interconnects of terminals of an LSI device and contacts of the conventional LSI socket. However, the contactor 1 having the contacts 3 is useful to achieve fine pitch interconnects of the terminals of the LSI device and the contacts 3 of the contactor 1.
In the contactor 1 of FIG. 40, the contacts 3 can be easily formed with accuracy of the positions thereof, and a large number of contacts can be simultaneously formed on the base 2 by using the plating technique.
However, the production of the membrane contactor 1 of FIG. 40 is considerably expensive. In a case of the contactor 1, the contacts 3 are formed on the pads 4 by using the plating technique. It takes several hours (for example, four hours in a certain case) to completely produce the contacts 3 by plating of the conductive material. The production period of the contactor 1 is relatively long, and the manufacturing cost is considerably high. Hence, the productivity of the membrane contactor 1 for volume production becomes low. In order to increase the productivity, it is necessary to increase the number of plating baths and/or the number of masking machines.
Further, it is difficult that the membrane contactor 1 of FIG. 40 is continuously supplied to the production line of LSI devices so as to keep up with the start of volume production of the LSI devices because the production period of the contactor 1 is long. In order to suit the requirements of recent LSI devices, such as a multi-chip module, various designs of integrated circuit contactors for testing bare chips or wafers are required. However, the membrane contactor 1 of FIG. 40 is difficult to meet the requirements of such LSI devices.
Further, it is difficult that the membrane contactor 1 of FIG. 40 provides adequate flexibility for the configuration of the contacts 3 on the base 2. In the case of the contactor 1, the contacts 3 are formed on the pads 4 by using the plating technique. The contacts 3 are often formed with a flat surface or a hemispherical surface by the plating. To ensure reliability of electric connections between terminals of an LSI device and contacts of an integrated circuit contactor, it is desirable that the contacts of the contactor are formed with a projecting edge having a roughness which can be stably held in contact with the terminals of the LSI device.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved integrated circuit contactor in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated circuit contactor which assures good reliability of electric connections between terminals of an integrated circuit and contacts of the integrated circuit contactor, and achieves an increased productivity of the contactor with low cost.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated circuit contactor production method which assures good reliability of electric connections between terminals of an integrated circuit and contacts of an integrated circuit contactor, and achieves an increased productivity of the contactor with low cost.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an integrated circuit contactor production apparatus which assures good reliability of electric connections between terminals of an integrated circuit and contacts of an integrated circuit contactor, and achieves an increased productivity of the contactor with low cost.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated circuit testing method, using an integrated circuit contactor, which assures good reliability of electric connections between terminals of an integrated circuit and contacts of the contactor during testing.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an integrated circuit contactor for testing an integrated circuit having terminals, including: a base of an insulating material, the base being elastically deformable; a plurality of pads of a first conductive material which are bonded to the base at positions corresponding to positions of the terminals on the integrated circuit; a plurality of contacts of a second conductive material which are bonded to the plurality of pads, respectively, the terminals of the integrated circuit being electrically connected to the contacts only when a pressure is exerted onto the contacts by the terminals of the integrated circuit, each contact having a projecting edge with a roughness produced by pulling a wire of the second conductive material apart from a corresponding one of the plurality of pads after the wire is bonded to the corresponding pad.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an integrated circuit contactor for testing an integrated circuit having terminals, including: a base of an insulating material, the base being elastically deformable; a plurality of pads of a first conductive material which are bonded to the base at positions corresponding to positions of the terminals on the integrated circuit; a plurality of contacts of a second conductive material which are bonded to the plurality of pads, respectively, the terminals of the integrated circuit being electrically connected to the contacts only when a pressure is exerted onto the contacts by the terminals of the integrated circuit, each contact having a projecting edge with a roughness produced by forming a piece of the second conductive material with a bonding head after the piece is bonded to a corresponding one of the plurality of pads.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a method of production of an integrated circuit contactor for testing an integrated circuit having terminals, the terminals of the integrated circuit being electrically connected to the contactor only when a pressure is exerted onto the contactor by the terminals of the integrated circuit, the method including the steps of: preparing a base of an insulating material on which a plurality of pads of a first conductive material are bonded at positions corresponding to positions of the terminals on the integrated circuit; and bonding a wire of a second conductive material to each of the plurality of pads, and pulling the wire apart from a corresponding one of the plurality of pads so as to form a plurality of contacts of the second conductive material bonded to the plurality of pads, respectively, each contact having a projecting edge with a roughness produced by the step of bonding and pulling of the wire.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a method of production of an integrated circuit contactor for testing an integrated circuit having terminals, the terminals of the integrated circuit being electrically connected to the contactor only when a pressure is exerted onto the contactor by the terminals of the integrated circuit, the method including the steps of: preparing a base of an insulating material on which a plurality of pads of a first conductive material are bonded at positions corresponding to positions of the terminals on the integrated circuit; transporting a plurality of pieces of a second conductive material above the plurality of pads on the base by using a bonding head, the bonding head including a holding part for holding the pieces thereon and a bonding part for bonding the pieces to the plurality of pads, the pieces being held by the holding part of the bonding head during the transport of the pieces; bonding the plurality of pieces of the second conductive material to the plurality of pads by using the bonding part of the bonding head respectively; and forming the plurality of pieces bonded to the plurality of pads so as to produce a plurality of contacts of the second conductive material bonded to the plurality of pads, each contact having a projecting edge with a roughness produced by the step of forming of the pieces.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an apparatus for production of an integrated circuit contactor for testing an integrated circuit having terminals, the contactor being produced from a base of an insulating material on which a plurality of pads of a first conductive material bonded at positions corresponding to positions of the terminals on the integrated circuit, the apparatus including: a conveyor which transports the base on which the plurality of pads are bonded; a bonding head which bonds a wire of a second conductive material to one of the plurality of pads, and pulls the wire apart from one of the plurality of pads so as to form a plurality of contacts of the second conductive material bonded to the plurality of pads, respectively; and a forming tool which forms one of the plurality of contacts of the second conductive material into a predetermined shape after one of the plurality of contacts is bonded to a corresponding one of the plurality of pads, wherein the bonding head and the forming tool are fixed to each other with no relative movement, and the bonding head and the forming tool are simultaneously operated for two of the plurality of pads while the base is transported by the conveyor.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an apparatus for production of an integrated circuit contactor for testing an integrated circuit having terminals, the contactor being produced from a base of an insulating material on which a plurality of pads of a first conductive material bonded at positions corresponding to positions of the terminals on the integrated circuit, the apparatus including: a dispenser which dispenses a molten drop of a second conductive material to one of the plurality of pads on the base; and a forming tool which forms the drop of the second conductive material on one of the plurality of pads into one of a plurality of contacts of the second conductive material bonded to the plurality of pads, each contact having a projecting edge with a roughness produced by the forming of the drops.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a method of testing an integrated circuit having terminals by using an integrated circuit contactor, the contactor including: a base of an insulating material, the base being elastically deformable; a plurality of pads of a first conductive material bonded to the base at positions corresponding to positions of the terminals on the integrated circuit; a plurality of contacts of a second conductive material bonded to the plurality of pads, respectively, the terminals being electrically connected to the contacts only when a pressure is exerted onto the contacts by the terminals, each contact having a projecting edge with a roughness produced by pulling a wire of the second conductive material apart from a corresponding one of the plurality of pads after the wire is bonded to the corresponding pad, the method including the steps of: positioning the integrated circuit to the contactor so that the positions of the terminals on the integrated circuit match the positions of the contacts on the contactor; applying a pressure to the integrated circuit so that the integrated circuit is face-down bonded to the contactor, the terminals being pressed onto the contacts of the contactor to establish electrical connections between the contacts and the terminals; and electrically testing the integrated circuit by using the contactor, the base acting to absorb the pressure exerted on the integrated circuit during the testing.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by a method of testing an integrated circuit having terminals by using an integrated circuit contactor, the contactor including: a base of an insulating material, the base being elastically deformable; a plurality of pads of a first conductive material bonded to the base at positions corresponding to positions of the terminals on the integrated circuit; a plurality of contacts of a second conductive material bonded to the plurality of pads, respectively, the terminals of the integrated circuit being electrically connected to the contacts only when a pressure is exerted onto the contacts by the terminals of the integrated circuit, each contact having a projecting edge with a roughness produced by forming a piece of the second conductive material with a bonding head after the piece is bonded to a corresponding one of the plurality of pads, the method including the steps of: positioning the integrated circuit to the contactor so that the positions of the terminals on the integrated circuit match the positions of the contacts on the contactor; applying a pressure to the integrated circuit so that the integrated circuit is face-down bonded to the contactor, the terminals being pressed onto the contacts of the contactor to establish electrical connections between the contacts and the terminals; and electrically testing the integrated circuit by using the contactor, the base acting to absorb the pressure exerted on the integrated circuit during the testing.
In the integrated circuit contactor of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the contacts are produced as stud bumps from the wire of the second conductive material, and it is possible to achieve fine-pitch interconnects of the integrated circuit terminals with the contacts. Each of the contacts has a projecting edge with a roughness produced by pulling a wire of the second conductive material apart from a corresponding one of the plurality of pads after the wire is bonded to the corresponding pad. It is possible to assure good reliability of electric connections between the terminals and the contacts of the integrated circuit contactor, and achieve an increased productivity of the contactor with low cost.
In the production method of the integrated circuit contactor of the present invention, a wire of a second conductive material is bonded to each of a plurality of pads, and the wire is pulled apart from a corresponding one of the plurality of pads so as to form a plurality of contacts of the second conductive material bonded to the plurality of pads, respectively, each contact having a projecting edge with a roughness produced by the bonding and pulling of the wire. It is possible to assure good reliability of electric connections between the terminals and the contacts of the integrated circuit contactor, and achieve an increased productivity of the contactor with low cost.
In the production apparatus of the integrated circuit contactor of the present invention, the bonding head and the forming tool are fixed to each other with no relative movement, and the bonding head and the forming tool are simultaneously operated for two of the plurality of pads while the base is transported by the conveyor. It is possible to assure good reliability of electric connections between the terminals and the contacts of the integrated circuit contactor, and achieve an increased productivity of the contactor with low cost.
In the integrated circuit testing method of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the contacts has a projecting edge with a roughness produced by pulling a wire of the second conductive material apart from a corresponding one of the plurality of pads after the wire is bonded to the corresponding pad. The base acts to absorb the pressure exerted on the integrated circuit during the testing. It is possible to assure good reliability of electric connections between the terminals of the integrater circuit and the contacts of the contactor during the testing.